


In the Light of the Moon

by Lisafer



Category: The Song of the Lioness - Tamora Pierce, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/M, Forum: Goldenlake, may-december relationship, psuedo-canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-10 23:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/791586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lisafer/pseuds/Lisafer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Halef notices Kara, really notices Kara, for the first time.  Written as part of the first annual Goldenlake Decathlon event.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Light of the Moon

Halef first became aware of Kara – aware as something more than an awkward girl who harnessed great power, more than a young woman overcoming a difficult childhood – at a wedding. They had reached the point where all the young maidens danced under the moonlight, the silver beads on their shawls and scarves catching the light and sparkling before all the unmarried men. It was his favorite part of the event, seeing the rapt looks on the young men’s faces, trying to figure out which wedding might come next for their tribe. 

This time, however, he noticed that Kara was not among the dancing women. 

“Why do you not dance?” he asked, when he located her in the women’s camel-hair tent, sitting near the bashful bride.

“Why do you not watch?” she countered. 

“I never do.”

“Nor do I. I never saw Akhnan Ibn Nazzir or Alanna take part in these things; I assumed a shaman should worry about the souls and the magic of the Bazhir, not try to win the attention of a man.” Her eyes shone with joy, and he wondered for a moment why she was so amused.

He was also taken by the maturity in her voice. Kara had grown up when he was looking the other way, he realized. He also realized that he wanted to see her dance, like the other unmarried women. 

“So why do you never watch the moonlight dance?” she asked. Her sandaled foot tapped in time to the dalouka drums. 

“Because I have never looked to take a wife, and did not want to give false impressions.”

“You think women would fawn all over you because they want to marry the headman?” Again her eyes sparkled with something akin to mischief.

“You make me sound arrogant.”

“I just tell the truth, Halef Seif. Do I not?”

“I find that it’s better to let the young men enjoy the attention of all the unmarried women, rather than distract them by an old man who will never likely marry.” Something about those last words, words he had spoken most of his adult life, felt wrong. 

“Never is a long time.” Kara rose to her feet, accepting his hand for assistance. “I find that when I declare something will never happen, it inevitably does. I, for one, feel like dancing.”

And Halef Seif watched her dance, enjoying the moonlight shining in her eyes.


End file.
